Civil War Memorial in Gorham

Civil War Memorial in Gorham

For being extremely cold, the weather was actually kind of nice for this visit. As you may or may not know we were taken out to visit this as a class. Which makes total sense considering if you were to take a nap half way to walking there, it would still only take 5 minutes to get there from Bailey Hall.

One thing I've gotten an appreciation for with these blog posts is important historical sites that are right next to me. This is no exception. As we all stood around and read the inscriptions on it and admired the beautifully crafted marble eagle at the top, Professor Bischof told us a bit about it's history.

This monument was built with funding from Toppan Robie in 1865. He wanted it built as a dedication to all the local soldiers who shipped off to the Civil War and didn't return. The interesting part about this is when it was erected. It's easily one of the oldest Civil War monuments. Most were constructed much later after the war, this was unveiled only months after the end of the war. It's made from $3,060 worth of granite to build, which at the time is a substantial amount of money, paid out of pocket by Mr. Robie.

The opening ceremony was quite the event for such a small town. Pamphlets with the day's events were handed out before the event. Being held out front of the then town hall it was a centrally located event most residents attended. Speeches were given by several important speakers, including Joshua Chamberlain.

Interestingly enough it's no longer at the Gorham town hall. It's out front of the same building, on the same plot, but the owners of the plot and the purpose of the building has changed. The hall is now an art gallery, and the property is now owned by USM. Some might find it depressing that this is how it turned out. I however like it, every time you enter the USM campus from that entrance you're reminded of a bit of local history. And if you know what the statue is for, you remember the men from Gorham and it's surrounding area that went off to war and died.